


Bread and Circuses

by helsinkibaby



Series: Right Beside Me Around Every Turn [15]
Category: The Flying Doctors
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Canon Het Relationship, F/M, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 17:50:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13506690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: When Tom and Chris return from Melbourne, they both know that if they don't show up at the pub, they'll have half the town on their doorstep. So they give the people what they want.





	Bread and Circuses

**Author's Note:**

> For gen prompt bingo - bread and circuses

When Tom walks into the living room, the first thing he sees is Chris, standing in the middle of the room, her hands joined as if in prayer, covering her nose and mouth. She is breathing deeply, her eyes closed and he doesn't think twice before crossing the floor and pulling her into his arms. She sags against him, letting her head fall against his shoulder as her arms go around his waist and he holds her tightly, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

He holds her until she lifts her head to look up at him, and even then he only loosens his grip just enough that she can lean back to make looking up easier. Her eyes are slightly damp but her cheeks are dry and the smile she gives him is definitely on the watery side. "I'm sor-" she starts but he doesn't even let her get the word out, closing his lips over hers instead. 

It's a brief kiss but when it's over, her smile is a lot more genuine. "No apologies," he says because after all, he'd been expecting something like this to happen. For the last six months, she's been dealing with her father's illness, nursing him day and night. Then there had been the funeral, sorting out the sale of the house, going through the contents. He'd helped out as much as he could but he knows that no matter how much he'd done, the bulk of the emotional labour had fallen to Chris. She'd held up well, considering, but the relentless grind and pace had meant that she hadn't really had time to properly process everything that had gone on. And now they're back home, back in Cooper's Crossing, and while the house looks exactly the same, they're both different and he thinks that's hitting Chris for the first time. 

Chris ducks her head for a moment, her forehead landing just above his heart. "You've been amazing through all his," she says into his shirt and he chuckles as he runs his hands up and down her back. "I don't think I've told you that." 

"I didn't do it for thanks," he tells her and he means it. "I did it for you." 

He's genuinely not trying to make her cry but then, he doesn't have to try too hard these days. "I love you," she says and he tucks a finger under her chin and lifts it up, brings his lips to hers. 

This time, the kiss is longer and Tom only stops it because if he continues it, there's only one place they're going to end up. Not that he objects to that, per se, but he's got a feeling they're not going to be uninterrupted for long. "So," he asks. "What shall we do about dinner?" He knows, because she'd said she would, that Kate has the kitchen well stocked with fresh food for them. "Cook here or go to the pub?" 

Chris bites her lip and he's pretty sure she's thinking along the same lines he is. "We should probably show our faces at the pub." She doesn't sound enthusiastic and he can't blame her. "Or we'll end up with half the town here." 

She's not wrong and they both know it. "It's just because they care," he tells her and she nods, falling into his embrace again. "Bread and circuses, Chris," he says, squeezing her shoulders. "Give the people what they want. Besides what do you want to bet Nancy's got all your favourites on the menu?" 

Chris chuckles against his shoulder. "No bet." 

It turns out to be the right choice because when they park up outside the pub, Tom's eye goes straight to the specials board. Sure enough, the two that are written in Nancy's neat handwriting are favourites of Chris's and, it has to be said, of his too. He points to the board with one hand as he slips the other hand into Chris's, squeezes it tightly before they walk inside. 

It's the dinner rush hour, or what passes for that in Cooper's Crossing, so sure enough, the place is full of their friends who waste no time in rushing over to them, pulling them both into hugs and how are yous. Kate is the first one over to Chris, Geoff not far behind her while David and Claire go over to Tom, shake his hand and pull him into a hug respectively, before the two sets of friends swap around. Then it's Nancy's turn, having come out from behind the bar, and Nick arrives from somewhere too and it's almost a relief that Vic stays behind the bar, arms crossed until Tom and Chris are ready to sit down and then he's reaching for the beer pump. 

"What'll it be?" he asks simply and Tom recognises the question for what it is, the older man's gruff way of enquiring after their welfare, doing his own little bit to help. He nods his head in Vic's direction as he slides his arm around Chris's shoulders. She's trembling, he notices at once, and he pulls her closer just a little bit, tightening his fingers on her shoulders. Her hip bumps against his as her arm goes around his waist, her fingernails sharp through the material of his shirt. Her face is pale, her eyes dark as she looks up at him and he steers her, as unobtrusively as possible, towards one of the bar stools, allowing her to sit down and standing beside her, his hand never leaving her shoulder. 

"I'll have a beer, thanks, Vic," he says, glancing down at Chris, who shakes her head. 

"Just orange juice for me, please." 

Kate takes the seat beside Chris, closes her hand over hers for a moment. "When did you get back?" 

"A couple of hours ago," Chris tells her. She's still trembling, Tom notes, and he can feel the tension that runs through her shoulders as she tries to stop it. His hand moves down from her shoulder, makes circles on her back before moving back up again, then repeating the pattern. "We considered cooking but..."

"Oh, you don't worry about that." Nancy, behind the bar now, hands across a glass filled to the brim with orange juice, lays her other hand on Chris's arm. "You saw the specials board, menus are on the tables, you just order whenever you're ready. On the house." That's followed by a glare in Vic's direction in response to the surprised look that he's giving her. She's fairly daring him to contradict her in front of everyone and he doesn't, even if he does place the glass down with a resounding thunk, sending some beer sloshing to the counter. It brings a genuine smile to Chris's face, a matching one to Tom's that he tries to hide by picking up the glass and raising it to his lips. 

Kate's smile fades quickly as she looks back at Chris. "You must be exhausted." 

Chris nods, twists her glass of juice on the counter, a shiny ring of condensation left in its wake. "Pretty tired," she acknowledges and she leans just a little more against Tom. "But it's good to be home." 

"You take as much time as you need." Standing behind Kate, Geoff fixes Chris with a look that's half understanding boss, half big brother. Then his gaze shifts to Tom and the look becomes a lot more teasing. "You, I want back in tomorrow." 

There's a mixture of laughs and groans and Kate says her husband's name with fond exasperation. "Fine," Geoff mock grumbles. "The day after, but that's my final offer." 

A little way down the counter, Clare sniffs. "And not a moment too soon if you ask me." The comment makes Geoff take a deep breath, makes Kate press her lips together before looking down and makes David look like he'd rather be somewhere else, anywhere else. All of which makes Tom realise there's a story there somewhere, and that's before he sees Nancy reach for a cloth and begin wiping down the bar with an expression on her face that's perfectly neutral. Too neutral, he knows at once. 

"What, don't tell me my replacement wasn't to your taste, Clare?" Tom uses his most charming voice, the one that has Chris rolling her eyes when he uses it on the nurses at the hospital. It has the same effect on Clare now and she sniffs again, haughtily.

It's David who speaks however. "Oh no. Your replacement, Magda? She was delightful." A positively wicked grin lights up Kate's face and Tom wants to know what that's all about. Maybe David knows that, sees what's coming and heads it off with, "Chris's on the other hand..."

He lets his voice trail off and Vic makes a noise deep in the back of his throat that communicates universes of disdain. "Flash Harry, you mean? Good riddance." 

"He wasn't that bad." Geoff speaks up in defence of the other doctor. "Guy just wasn't used to how we do things around here." Various noises of disapproval greet his words and there's something about his demeanour that makes Tom think that not only is it not the first time he's said them, but that even he's not buying what he's selling. 

"Let's just say we're all delighted to have you both back." Ever the peacemaker, Nancy smiles at both Tom and Chris and, beside him, Tom feels Chris straighten up. He looks down to meet her gaze, sees a questioning gleam in her eye, an almost imperceptible raise of her eyebrow. He knows what she's asking and he gives the tiniest of nods back, squeezes her shoulder for good measure. 

"Well," Chris says, her face and voice all innocence. "Let's hope they don't send him back then." 

Worried glances are exchanged and Nancy bites her lip. "You're not planning on moving back to Melbourne full time are you?" She sounds genuinely appalled at the idea and Chris shakes her head. 

"Oh no, I'm not going anywhere." She pauses for a second, just enough to let the relief wash over them, watch the curiosity build. "Just on maternity leave." 

For a split second, there is silence as the words hang in the air. Then Nancy lets out a cry of delight and then there are exclamations and congratulations, hugs and kisses for Chris, hearty hand shakes and claps on the back for him. Nancy calls for drinks on the house and while Tom almost expects to be treating Vic for a stroke, instead he's surprised to turn around and see the older man out from behind the bar, a beaming grin on his face as he extends his hand to Tom. "Good on ya, Doc," he says, his grip firm. "Nice to have a bit of good news around here for a change." 

"Yeah," Tom says, his arm once more going around Chris's waist, his other resting lightly on her almost still flat stomach, "I know exactly what you mean."


End file.
